🔗 Share this article Man pleads guilty to sexual crimes against young males at summer program Jon Ruben confessed to 17 criminal counts at the judicial center on Friday An individual who laced candy with tranquilliser and distributed them to children at a youth camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two boys aged nine and 10. Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in the summer month. The 76-year-old, from that region, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday. Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old boy. The defendant was remanded in custody before a further hearing on late November. 'Candy game' Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings. She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he managed. Ruben engaged in a "candy game" with the children, the legal counsel explained, in which he would access the sleeping quarters when they were getting ready for bed and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can". She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the boys "repeatedly", and minors had earlier experienced illness the following morning. She said Ruben had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025. The legal representative continued: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about the situation, for good reason. "They resolved" to have a look in the man's possessions." The legal counsel explained objects including lubricant, ointment and syringes were discovered, and his stepson contacted the police about his suspicions. She explained the man went on to conduct the "candy game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the following morning. "The police had not gone out by that point," she continued. The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was examining the police response of the incident. The prosecutor explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson notified the authorities a second time. She said the defendant then played the "treat game" in a area of five children.